


Patch you up

by amaryllis (Lilly0)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Civil War Fix-It, Dorks in Love, Feelings, Feels, Fix-It, Forgive Me, Forgiveness, Friendship/Love, Hurt Tony, Hurt Tony Stark, Idiots in Love, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Makeup, OTP Feels, POV Tony, POV Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers Feels, Stony Bingo, Tony Being Tony, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15035117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly0/pseuds/amaryllis
Summary: Tony didn’t believe it would affect him so much to see him. He thought he was over him, and in case they met again, he would be able to be all professional. But seeing Steve now he isn’t sure if he wants to punch him, kick him out the window of the 20th floor or kiss him senselessly. Or all three at once.(basically this is my desperate attempt of a post-Civil War fix it. And 4000 words of Stony being in one room togther and trying to forgive and forget and patch their friendship up)





	Patch you up

**Author's Note:**

> Post Civil-War (contains the obvious spoilers). And yes, you read right, so many words and they don't even leave the room, but there are lots of complicated feels. Too many feels, and word, and kisses and more words. 
> 
> Wrote this for the Stony bingo (used one of the pictures for it)

 

Ever since Tony has met Steve, ever since their paths have crossed, ever since he can remember Steve, it was always Steve making a step. They argued a lot, they never shared the same opinion, yet at the end of the day Steve would approach him. Make a step towards him. Even if it was ridiculous, annoying or just simply not necessary, this annoying righteous bastard would basically always step forward towards Tony.

 

Steve tried to make things right between them when everything _was_ okay.

 

Now that nothing is okay, he is suddenly not stepping anywhere. Not even remotely. Not even a little step. Nothing.

 

 

He and Steve haven’t talked in months.

 

 

“Everything alright, Mr. Stark?”

 

“Just call me Tony.” He turns towards Peter, only to see him beaming at him. He rolls his eyes in mock-annoyance. “Okay, forget it.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Stark, I mean Tony.” Peter would annoy him to hell if he didn’t like the boy so much. Tony doesn’t even understand why he cares for this kid so much. Maybe because there is something in Peter that reminds him of himself. Maybe because he grows up alone, an outsider, just with his aunt. Well, the kid is strong though. Stronger than other kids his age, probably stronger than Tony was at 15. Or even now. Who knows?

 

“Don’t you have something to do for school? Like, homework?”

 

“Well,” Peter smiles, and apparently thinks he is being convincing. “I guess it’s because you haven’t been to school for many years. I mean, it’s been some time, right? So, nowadays homework isn’t-?”

 

Tony raises his eyebrows.

 

“Okay, fine. It’s just boring as hell. Too easy.”

 

“Well, you know what they say kid: Either do your homework or you will end up as a creep in the basement of your aunt.”

 

Peter blinks. “Who says that?”

 

“I say it.” Tony grins. “I’ll ask Vision to entertain you while you do your homework. He knows a lot, you can ask him everything.”

 

“So, if I study, will you let me try out the new features of my suit?”

 

Tony sighs. Jeez, he wishes he would have some help with this. But then, most of his other friends, companions, former companions, whatever, are probably worse at this than he is. “Yeah, kid, maybe.”

 

At least he has successfully shoved the problem towards Vision now, he thinks, when the latter is here just twenty minutes later, and indeed is ready to help him out. There is something else though, something in the way Vision avoids his look and- “You did something, didn’t you?”

 

“Nothing bad, Tony. I just…” Vision smiles soothingly. “I think I did it for you. At least that’s what I’m telling myself over and over again. Just…don’t  get mad.” He pauses. “I brought him to your office.”

 

Him?

 

 

~~~

 

He should be more surprised than he is to see _him_ in his office, skimming through a book Tony recently bought. 

 

“Hey, you know I can sue you for theft if you take that?”

 

Steve looks up. “Tony,” he says, nervous, and then nothing. Tony closes the door behind him, leaning against it. Steve looks different to the last time he saw him, his hair is longer, slightly darker, he has a beard now. Tony didn’t believe it would affect him so much to see him. He thought he was over him, and in case they met again – and he always knew they would meet, considering recent happenings – he would be able to be all professional. But seeing Steve now he isn’t sure if he wants to punch him, kick him out the window of the 20th floor or kiss him senselessly. Or all three at once.

 

He and Steve aren’t a couple, weren’t one back then. They just sometimes used to seek comfort in each other’s arms when decisions and battles and problems and the world suffocated them.

 

They were not lovers. And now Tony questions if they even were friends.

 

He also wonders what Vision told Steve to make him come here. “No one can be trusted,” he mumbles more to himself than to Steve.

 

Steve looks slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to invade your privacy,” he stutters. “But Vision told me you were really sick.”

 

“Well, I’m not.”

 

“I see that now.” Steve nods. His looks at a spot behind Tony, almost unfocused.

 

Tony tries his hardest not to feel happy that Steve hurried to his place just because he thought he was ill. The irony, he thinks, after all Steve left him behind in Siberia. Was he worried back then?

 

He is not ready to face these feeling yet, hence he does what he can do best. Pretend he doesn’t care. “I didn’t expect to see you anytime soon,” he says, shuffling to his desk and pretending to skim through one of the folders there.

 

It works because there is sudden uncertainty in Steve’s movements and voice. “I wrote you a letter,” Steve points out, sounding apologetic. Tony wonders if he even knows himself what he is apologizing for. Or why he is apologizing. Why he is here.

 

“Ah, yeah, I loosely remember.” Tony raises his eyebrows. “Thank you. I’m truly touched. Will mark the date in my calendar. And next year on the exact same date I’ll eat a piece of cake. Strawberry cake with whipped cream. Maybe I’ll invite you.”

 

“Do you always have to be like that?”

 

“Like what?” Tony asks sharply. “What am I like, Rogers?” He bites down on his tongue the moment he said it. How embarrassing to slip like that.

 

Steve stands up, taking a step towards him. “Tony,” he starts.

 

Tony raises his hand to stop him before he can come any closer. “Do us both a favour and don’t say anything that embarrasses us both.”

 

Steve seems to ignore him. Like always basically. “I’ve been checking my phone daily.”

 

“Jesus. Odin. Any other god, spirit, ghost. Have mercy.” Tony covers his eyes. “You are seriously saying something embarrassing.”

 

“You could have called too,” Steve argues.

 

Tony lets his hand drop down again, eyeing Steve insistently. “Maybe I didn’t want to?” Tony suggests.

 

“So,” Steve says after a little pause, something in his eyes flickers. “Did you? Not want to call?”

 

Truth is, Tony doesn’t know what he wanted to do, or not to do. He has changed his mind not daily but hourly, reaching out to call Steve, just to put the phone down again a second later.

 

“It’s not like I… I don’t care about you. Because I do,” Steve rasps out. Jeez, when did it get so awkward between them, Tony thinks. Like, Steve has seen him naked, and fucked him, and did all kind of things and now he can’t even look him in the eye. “In case you didn’t know,” Steve adds.

 

Fact is, Tony does not know. How should he? He is not a freaking psychic. He has neither the time nor the strength to continuously try to understand his friends’ deepest motivations and reasons, or their feelings towards him. Steve’s feelings towards him to be more precise. He has enough to do with being in his own head.

 

Steve blinks, apparently taking Tony’s silence for exactly what it is. “You think I don’t care at all?”

 

Tony sighs. “Listen, Steve,” he says, noting how the latter looks up in surprise at the sudden intimate tone he uses when saying his name. And at the lack of sarcasm or teasing when doing so. “Sometimes it’s really hard work to be myself. I can’t try to look into someone else’s head then.”

 

“Bucky is my friend,” Steve says suddenly, making Tony frown. Does he really have to bring up the name of Tony’s biggest love rival, the one Steve chose above him? Like… seriously? Where is your consideration and decency, Captain? “He is like my family. But definitely nothing more.”

 

Tony groans. “Oh god. You are doing it again.”

 

“Doing what?”

 

“Being embarrassing.” Tony snorts. “We are not two giggly 15-year old teenagers shyly flirting in the hallway of our school.”

 

“Then stop acting like one?” Steve says, and it sounds more like a question than a reproach.

 

“Acting like what?” Tony frowns. “Giggly? You would be the first to call me that.”

 

“No, I meant-“

 

“Shy? Please, Cap, don’t make me laugh.”

 

“Tony-“

 

“And if you think I look like 15, you are either delusional, stupid or blind. Get your eyes checked, I’d say.”

 

“You are being completely ridiculous!” Steve grumbles, eyes flashing in sudden annoyance. And Tony knows he is right. He is being ridiculous. But he is so fucking worked up, he has no words for it.

 

“You know what’s ridiculous?” Tony bites out, dropping the cool act for real now. “You choosing, and then still having the audacity to come here and blabbing nonsense.”

 

“What do you mean?” Steve says, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“Do I really have to spill it out?”

 

“Yes,” Steve huffs. “I’m not an idiot, but to understand you I’d need a fucking PHD.”

 

The fact that Steve Rogers, the ever so perfect Captain America, curses takes Tony by surprise, and…turns him slightly on, but he is not ready to let his guard down just yet. “Steve,” he says earnestly. “You made a choice. And I would really like to be generous enough to say: It’s okay, I’m happy for you, let’s be friends. Fact is though, I hate it, but I’ll live with it. So stop saying embarrassing things out of guilt that will make things worse for the both of us.”

 

“It’s not like that,” Steve argues. “I just didn’t know what to do. Bucky is my family, and I knew he wouldn’t have faced a fair trial. Handing him to the authorities would have meant letting him become a scapegoat and getting killed, or worse: being used again. It would have happened, Tony, you know it.”

 

“Steve,” Tony leans against his desk. He feels tired all of a sudden. “He killed my parents.”

 

“I know.”

 

“And you hid it from me.”

 

“I did.” Is it just his imagination or is Steve’s voice shaking slightly?

 

“I wished I wouldn’t have seen the video. But because I did, it’s so freaking real. They were literally slaughtered. It’s not like I don’t understand how it happened, and how he wasn’t himself when he did it. But, you know, Steve, he still did it. And at that very moment I realized you want to protect him, like it doesn’t mean anything that he did kill them.” When Steve opens his mouth, about to say something, Tony raises his hand to stop him. “Let me finish this, please.” Steve sighs, but nods. “It feels, like for you my loss isn’t real, like I’m not allowed of having feelings and being sad about it. And I have difficulties to process all of this. Initially back then I snapped because of what I saw, but now months later… I…” He sighs, deciding to be honest. “The problem is not Bucky, Steve, I’ve had time to come at peace with what he did, and why. The problem which remains though is that I just didn’t mean enough to you.”

 

Voicing it out loud makes him realize just how much the realization hurts him. It was a choice. Steve chose. And that’s a fact.

 

“That’s not true!” Steve is suddenly next to him, and Tony can’t even grasp how he approached him so fast without him noticing it. He looks right at him now, his eyebrows furrowed. He looks serious. And he is so close that Tony can even smell his shampoo. Lemon. Captain America is using lemon scented shampoo. And it’s freaking turning him on. “I wanted to protect you both,” Steve says with insistence. “I know it makes no sense. It doesn’t even make sense to me. I didn’t know how to tell you, I wanted to hide it from you because I knew it would hurt you, I couldn’t believe it myself. I didn’t even know how to react.”

 

“Protect us both?” Tony blinks, honestly taken aback. “Wow, not sure if you had a plan back then. But if you did… that’s probably been your shittiest plan ever! You definition of protection is really interesting…”

 

Steve sighs. “You know what I wish for?”

 

Tony pretends not to be interested. “You are telling me anyways.”

 

“I wish to create a reality where I can always be at your side and still protect my friends and family. I wish we lived in a world where an individual wouldn’t be manipulated in killing and murdering, where things like this can’t happen. I wish I had known you back then, I wish I was there, so that I could have prevented everything from happening. I wish you could forgive me, but even now, even with you standing here and hating me, I would do it again. I would stop you from killing Bucky.”

 

Tony knows it. He knows and understands, and he is glad it’s not him who had to make the decision and choice Steve did. The reasonable part of him knows all that, but the emotional part hates that Steve didn’t choose him. And this emotional part in him is downright pissed that Steve still doesn’t understand _it_. Like how dense can a man probably be?

 

Obviously he has to spell it out to him.

 

“I’ll tell you again, Steve, because you don’t seem to have listened the first time: I’m not blaming Bucky anymore. Well, maybe I am, but at the same time I’m not. Doesn’t matter though. What I’m saying is: I’m not going to become _your_ Bucky’s best buddy, just because you are together with him, got it? I’m not going to be happy to fight with him and not against him. I’ll do it, because I have to, but I’m not going to pretend him happy about it.” But getting manipulated into being a weapon is some serious shit, he knows that too, he just isn’t ready to admit it to Steve yet. “You made a choice, and you choose him. Why are you even here? I’m a big boy, I’ll get over it.”

 

Steve looks appalled, like he finally understands what Tony is talking about. “He is not _my_ Bucky,” he finally rasps out.

 

“Oh come on.” Tony rolls his eyes.

 

“I don’t have this kind of relationship with him!” Steve urges.

 

Is he fucking serious? Tony narrows his eyes. “Steve, don’t make fun of me. I’m already so close to kicking you out of my door.” Sometimes he does wonder what Bucky offers Steve, what he has and what Tony lacks. Is it the memory of the times Steve spent together with Bucky? Is he the better lover? Kinder? Funnier?

 

“Tony! I’m not in any kind of romantic relationship with Bucky. I have never kissed him, had sex with him or anything alike! Ugh.” Steve grimaces, and gags slightly. “He is like my brother. Even saying all of this stuff makes me cringe! I love him but not like that. Believe it or not.”

 

“Hm.” Tony nods. “I don’t.”

 

“What?”

 

“You said: Believe it or not, and I just happen to not believe you.”

 

There is a flash of annoyance in Steve’s eyes. It’s way too easy to piss him off. “You seriously believe that I’m in love with Bucky?”

 

“That…I’m not sure about, but I think you are fucking Bucky.”

 

Steve throws his arms up in the air. “Do you even know how freaking annoying and difficult you are sometime? And always a sarcastic comeback leaving your lips. You don’t trust anyone, never have.” Steve huffs. “You don’t get it, do you!?”

 

“Oh.” Tony winks. “Actually you are wrong. I do get it. I’m busy with saving the world and fighting the evil, but occasionally I do get it. Like I just got it last week and-“

 

Steve grabs him by his collar and smashes their lips together, the sudden attack taking Tony so much by surprise he can’t even move. When Steve lets go of him, he looks so smug that Tony wishes he could slap the content smile from his face. But at the same time it suddenly feels increasingly harder to actually breathe. “Seeing you speechless is quite rare,” Steve comments.

 

“I’m just surprised you really manned it up,” Tony answers to diffuse his own embarrassment.

 

“I just tried to do the right thing back then. Even if my decisions were poor, I just wanted to do what’s right and save you all.” Steve says all of a sudden.

 

“Just because you think something is right and believe what you do is right, doesn’t mean it truly is,” Tony points out carefully. “There are many definitions and views on what’s right or wrong. Not just one.”

 

Steve tilts his head, looking troubled for a moment. He opens his mouth to say something, then he lets out a sigh. “I need to think about that for a little longer, Tony.”

 

Tony nods tentatively. More than he expected. In a weird twisted way he and Steve are both too much in their own heads. Weird how they share this characteristic out of all.

 

Steve looks at Tony earnestly. “Tony I need you to know: Had you said back then that you love me, I would have-“

 

“Woah!” Tony raises his hands in defence. Shit. No way. “No one said anything about love.”

 

Steve ignores him fucking again. “Had I known about your feelings, I would have handled everything different. I thought we just…” He pauses, obviously unsure how to continue.

 

“Fuck?” Tony helps him out, raising his eyebrows.

 

“Sleep with each other,” Steve says.

 

“So, you always sleep with people you don’t like?” Tony asks, looking at Steve insistently. He was dumb enough to believe that Steve going to bed with him actually meant something. Because… it’s Steve. Captain America would not just sleep around. Well, quite honestly, Tony is a lot smarter now. Starting _something_ with Steve was completely out of Tony’s comfort zone back then, and until now he wonders why he did it, why he couldn’t stay away from Steve.

 

“What? No, you are the only one I like! I didn’t want to pressure you” Steve sighs. “I wished I had known that you return my feelings!”

 

Tony sighs. “You are an idealistic idiot.” As if the world is that simple, he thinks. Two people who like each other will conquer any issues. It’s a nice thought, but also pretty…dumb. But also cute. And very stupid. But cute. Kind of.

 

“That’s why I need you,” Steve comments casually like Tony’s insults don’t even have an effect on him anymore. “I need you to be my realistic counterpart.

 

Tony swallows nervously, slowly Steve words are working their way into his mind and he feels torn and nervous all of a sudden. “I really wanted to punch you, you know? I’ve played 103 scenarios in my mind where I hit you.”

 

“103?” Steve blinks. “That’s a very specific number. But if it makes you feel better, I won’t stop you,” he says quietly. He is uncomfortably close to Tony again, his nose almost touching Tony’s cheek. Tony doesn’t push him back.

 

He will later on blame it on his baser instincts or his sleeplessness or exhaustion or anything, but he raises his hands, touching some strands of Steve’s hair before brushing over his cheek with the back of his hand. “You grew a beard.”

 

“I did. Do you like it?”

 

Yes. But no way is he going to admit that so easily. “Not sure,” Tony tilts his head. “It feels a bit like I might be kissing Thor.”

 

Steve narrows his eyes, looking angry all of a sudden. “Did you?”

 

Tony blinks. “Did I what?”

 

“Kiss Thor?”

 

He swears, this man is going to be the end of him. “So, you are upset over the mere idea that I might have kissed Thor, yet you are happily living in a love triangle with me and Bucky, and-“

 

Steve covers his mouth with his hand, and Tony wishes he would have used his own mouth to shut him up. He is not sure what gave it away to Steve, but to his surprise the hand is removed suddenly and he feels Steve’s lips against his again. It feels good.

 

He has missed him so much.

 

Steve kisses his neck, his tongue painting a wet trail from his chin down to his right shoulder, his hand moving under Tony’s shirt, and suddenly it gets incredibly difficult to breathe. “Steve,” Tony’s voice sounds hoarse even to his own ears. “Don’t pretend like you aren’t pissed off by me 24/7.”

 

“I like being pissed off by you,” Steve answers against the sensitive skin of Tony’s collarbones, lips vibrating and sending shivers down Tony’s spine. Then the lips move up his shoulder again, licking and sucking at his neck, before biting into his shoulder. Tony gasps.

 

And suddenly he feels pissed. Angry. He doesn’t even know why and how so sudden, but all his suppressed feelings hit him at once.

 

Fuck it, he curses inwardly, fuck this guy, and what he does to his mind and body. He feels so angry, so irrationally angry. At himself, Steve, the world. Shit, shit, shit.

 

With the emotions boiling in him, he does what he should have done from the first moment on. He delivers a punch, right to Steve’s stomach. Steve flinches, gasping in surprise. It’s a little bit dramatic, Tony has to admit that.

 

Steve looks at him for a moment, surprised and worried. “God, Tony.”.

 

“You were right, this made me feel better.” No, it did not. Something burns behind Tony’s eyelids and he is struggling to suppress it. “Thanks for the offer! This is for Siberia.”

 

Steve reaches out his hand, but lets it drop midway. “Don’t look like that,” he says quietly, voice wavering slightly.

 

Tony frowns. “Like what?”

 

Steve stays quiet.

 

“What do I look like?” Tony asks, panic spreading inside him. What did he give away? Did Steve see how lost and vulnerable he just felt? Did he? No shit.

 

“I’m never going to leave you behind again,” Steve says, and his promise sounds honest. He probably really means it. He is the type of guy who can give promises like that, and although Tony knows no one can hold up to promises that include the words never, forever, always… he still likes to hear it. “I didn’t know… didn’t know…” He takes Tony’s hands, looking down at them. “I’m sorry,” he says all of a sudden while kneeling down in front of Tony.

 

“What?” Tony blinks, shocked.

 

“I’m so sorry, Tony. Please forgive me.”

 

That’s too unexpected. He has expected a lot, but not Steve literally begging for his forgiveness. “I would have left you behind too… maybe… you know… if our roles were reversed.”

 

“We will never know that,” Steve answers quietly. “We can only assume it and speculate, but we’ll never know for sure.”

 

That’s so realistic and so not like Steve that Tony feels shaken for a moment. “Say it again,” he begs.

 

“I’m sorry. I will never leave you again.”

 

“Say it again,” Tony mumbles. “Just the last part.”

 

Steve gets up and hugs him tight. “I will never leave you again.” They stay quiet for a long while. Tony feels weirdly warm inside by feeling Steve’s arms around his body. He has never thought of himself as the type of guy who likes to be hugged just for the sake of it, just to feel the other’s presence. “Tony,” Steve says after a while, voice surprisingly hoarse. “I… Can we…”

 

Tony draws a bit back, looking at Steve curiously. “Can we what?”

 

“Give us a real chance?” Steve stutters. “Not just sex, but you know, going out, dinner and…doing things.”

 

“Couple stuff?” Tony asks in surprise.

 

“Yes, I guess.”

 

“You want us to try being a real couple?” Tony pushes further.

 

“I’m officially courting you, so yes.”

 

Tony has to fight the urge to roll his eyes at Steve’s choice of words, but it’s also kind of cute. In a weird twisted way. In a very weird twisted way. Very very weird.

 

“What do you say?” Steve urges.

 

Tony takes a while to think and consider Steve’s words, then he grabs Steve by his shirt and pushes him against the shelf behind them, the vase on it wavers dangerously. “I’m a difficult man, Steve,” Tony says with a warning tone in his voice. “The next time you don’t choose me, no matter the reasons, I might just kill you. I hate people who half-ass what they do.”

                                

“I’m very certain about what I do.” Steve looks annoyingly happy all of a sudden before he grabs Tony’s face, turning them both over and pushing Tony against the shelf now. The vase drops down, breaking in thousands shards. They both ignore it. It’s not like Tony ever liked that piece anyways. When Steve kisses him again, he bites down on Steve’s lips. Steve flinches, but doesn’t say anything, just moves back a bit and touches his lips.

 

“You are really not here for a quick fuck?” Tony asks, frowning, because there is no way he is going to let Captain America have his way with him if it’s just a one-night stand. Not after all the shit that happened. He is too proud for that.

 

“You really don’t trust easily, do you?” Steve asks surprisingly soft.

 

“I don’t trust at all,” Tony answers before he can stop himself.

 

“I will prove to you how seriously I mean it. Just wait and see.” When Tony keeps looking at him, Steve sighs. “Do I look like someone who is in for something quick?”

 

“Yes, you kind of do.” Steve looks slightly hurt at his words, and to his surprise Tony doesn’t like the feeling of having hurt him. “Hey, don’t give me that look,” he hurries to say. “You are tall, muscular and look like you are out of an advertisement. Well, technically you are. Are you seriously going to tell me you are the type of guy to bring breakfast to your love’s bed and cuddle in front of the TV?”

 

“I have been told I make wonderful pancakes and soft-boiled eggs,” Steve explains calmly, and Tony isn’t quite sure if he is joking or not. But this is Steve he is talking to, so he probably means it. Steve means everything he does or says, and in a weird twisted way it’s comforting for Tony to know that. He doesn’t know why it comforts him. He has never searched for a feeling of security, but now, all of a sudden, his heart makes a few tentative jumps.

 

He leans forward, pulling Steve into a soft kiss. He sucks at his lips, carefully avoiding the bruised spot he bit down on before he opens up and allows Steve’s tongue to enter. He takes his time to explore Steve’s mouth, happy when Steve willingly engages in the game. He doesn’t know how he looks like when they draw apart, what expression he is showing Steve, but Steve seems to like what he sees, because there is a sudden glint in his eyes. Something Tony thought he would never see in Steve’s eyes. Something he was sure Steve wouldn’t even be able to show towards him.

 

Steve looks happy, his eyes gleaming, and he looks at Tony like he is something precious. No one has ever looked at Tony like that.

 

“You know, Rogers,” Tony says with a nervous chuckle. “I don’t absolutely hate you.”

 

Steve smiles, arms wrapped around Tony’s waist tightly. “Well, thank you. I don’t hate you either.”

 

“I’m more the type for scrambled eggs though.”

 

Steve blinks. “Hm?”

 

“Soft-boiled eggs, not a fan. Salmonella, you know.” Tony raises his eyebrows. “Ham and eggs would be fine too.”

 

Steve shows him a sweet crooked smile. “Does this mean, I’m invited to come again?”

 

“How you interpret my words is up to you.”

 

“You really are quite some work,” Steve comments, but he doesn’t sound displeased. He wraps his arms around Tony tighter, pulling him into another kiss. When his fingers wander beneath Tony’s shirt, drawing lazy patterns against the naked skin of his back, and his right hand kneads Tony’s butt, Tony smirks slightly against Steve’s lips. He pulls back a bit. “I’m sorry,” he chuckles, ignoring how every spot of his skin Steve just touched feels like it’s burning. “But I have to turn every other action down for now.”

 

Steve seems surprisingly disappointed… and a little hurt. That’s good, Tony thinks, shows him that he might really want him. “And why’s that, Tony?”

 

“Peter is studying next door,” Tony explains. “And I’m not in for any sudden interruptions or surprises, if you get what I mean.”

 

Steve nods. “I understand.”

 

He is probably too old-fashioned anyways to lay anyone with a kid next door, Tony assumes. The glance Steve throws him before letting go of him sends tingles over Tony’s body though. He wants him, wants him so much.

 

But at the same time… he needs more time. Just a bit more.

 

Steve doesn’t mention that technically Tony didn’t accept his apology yet. It’s not like Tony hasn’t forgiven Steve or himself, he has – at least partly. For the other part he isn’t sure if he will ever forgive the both of them for the pain the brought upon themselves. He can’t say these thoughts out loud, they are too difficult to put into words, and even more difficult to understand.

 

He just isn’t ready to voice these thoughts out yet. And honestly he isn’t sure he ever will be.

 

He has the feeling Steve knows.

 

Peter is just an excuse. There are plenty of rooms and even floors where he and Steve could go and not be disturbed. But he wants to be sure first that Steve truly wants Tony, not for sex but for… Tony.

 

Tony feels a bit childish for thinking like that. He is a grown-ass man, and it’s not like he is saving his virginity or anything, because that ship sailed away many years ago. But he isn’t sure if he truly is ready to present his heart on a silver plate for Steve again. He just doesn’t know.

 

He wants to give himself a bit more time.

 

“Do you want to go out for dinner?” Steve asks, taking Tony’s hand into his and squeezing it, like it’s the most normal thing to do.

 

“Dinner?” Tony looks at him in slight surprise. “Really?”

 

“Yeah, I thought we could eat something nice and talk.” Steve seems to be unsure all of a sudden. “Only if you want to of course.”

 

“I want to,” Tony hurries to say, angry at himself for sounding so eager and giving in so fast.

 

A glance into Steve’s face tells him though it was the right thing to do, because Steve looks at him so full of warmth that Tony’s heart feels like it’s going to jump out of his chest anytime. He really needs to be careful, think about his heart.

 

It doesn’t help his increased heartbeat when Steve reaches out his hand and cups Tony’s cheek softly, his thumb brushing over the spot right beneath his eyes.

 

Distraction distraction distraction, a voice calls in his head. “So, should I ask Peter if he wants to join us?” he teases.

 

Steve blinks. “No way! You are spending too much time with him anyways.”

 

Tony grins. “He is a kid, Steve.”

 

“He is a teen, don’t underestimate him,” Steve argues. He tugs at Tony’s hand possessively. “I’m going to abduct you now and take you out for dinner before you have another one of these _great_ ideas or, worse, change your mind.”

 

“Okay,” Tony says with a smile.

 

Steve nods, returning the smile carefully. Hopeful. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, guys, you don't even know how often I re-wrote this and changed passages and sentences and words, and deleted parts and tried again. I didn't want to turn Steve into a scapegoat, because at the end of the day they both went against each other, and I love my Cap too (especially with that beard he is sporting now, but that's a different story *coughs*). But at the same time he was the one who left Tony behind and chose another friend over him, which I didn't want to drop either (especially since this is Tony's POV) 
> 
> I also realized despite (or maybe because of?) my fangirl love for Tony (imagine a cheerleader chant from me right now LOL), it's more difficult for me to write his POV than Steve's - probably because he is a rather complicated (or let's say versatile) character. 
> 
> Now I'm feeling kinda drained. Btw, fun fact: I started writing this one-shot before all the other Stony ones I posted. LMAO. Talk about being uncertain. 
> 
> I have a huge weakness for dialogues, which is why my stories are often dialogue-heavy. I hope this doesn't go against the story's flow. 
> 
> I'm super nervous about this, so obviously comments and feedback are more than appreciated! ♥


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